King Pin Business Cards

When doing business internationally, knowing and understanding the local culture gives you the competitive advantage. Any foreknowledge of the norms, behaviours, food, rituals and etiquette is going to also vastly improve the impression you make on your hosts.

Understanding your host allows you both to feel more at ease and relaxed in your dealings. This will manifest itself in improved relations and hopefully, results. One important aspect of business etiquette is the exchange of business cards. This is something we take for granted in the US as it’s pretty standard with no real rules to speak of. Other places in the world however view it completely differently.

Generally the reasons for having and exchanging the cards are the same the world over. They are a means of marketing your company, yourself while providing easily accessible contact details to your clients. They are exchanges at the beginning of an initial meeting after greeting your host. It is suggested that you have professional business cards with one side in the local language. This is a very simple but effective way of creating a good impression as it shows an appreciation for your hosts culture and language and demonstrates an attention to detail. Both good qualities to display.

Make a point of looking carefully at any business card you receive. Many Asian countries take it as an offence if you don’t. Also treat them with respect. Don’t play with them or throw them into your briefcase as if they meant nothing. This is also offensive.

In China it is advisable to add anything that improves your status. For example of you have a degree or higher qualification or your company is the biggest or oldest at what it does. Status is important and if you can publicly display it your hosts will acknowledge it.

The Japanese exchange cards with great ceremony. Definitely invest in professional business cards when visiting there, as the quality of the card reflects the quality of the company. When receiving a card from a Japanese, treat it with respect, as if it were the person themselves. Great offence would be taken if disrespect was shown to the card.

In India you always present and receive cards with your right hand. As a large part of the country is Muslim, the left hand is seen as unclean, so best to err on the side of caution and use the right. This is the same for most other things, like shaking hands, passing glasses or bottles and that sort of thing. Indians above many other cultures revere academic achievement. Adding any higher qualifications to the card will increase your status in their eyes.

Knowing a little about the culture of the people you are visiting is essential in understanding them. Tailoring your equipment, such as the business cards, and approach to take into consideration these differences can mean the difference between the success and failure of your visit. A few minutes preparation to save, or make you hundreds, maybe thousands of dollars on the international market.

First impressions are everything when it comes to business. You will be judged on how you look and act as well as how you negotiate. All these things mean that the modern businessman must be schooled in many arts. The international businessman needs many more tools in his arsenal to be able to effectively represent himself and his company abroad. It is well known that us Americans aren’t too good outside our own country. When we do travel we expect everything to work just like “back home”, and complain often loudly when it doesn’t. That kind of attitude just won’t work when travelling on business.

The European and Asian business world is founded on quality. That isn’t to say ours isn’t, but there is much more emphasis on it over there. From the quality of your suit, to your manners and observance of local cultures. All these things will be studied and either marked for, or against you.

For example, doing business in Italy, you would be marked down for not having a stylish suit or quality business cards. Style and quality is everything there, and the outward display of it permeates every facet of their society. France is much the same on a more conservative level. Style and quality count for a lot so turning up to a meeting in an off the shelf suit isn’t going to win you any friends. You would have to work very hard to convince either the Italian or French of the quality of you or your company like that.

Russia on the other hand couldn’t care less. They are interested in doing deals and making money. They are much less interested in you, what you wear or the quality of your business cards. Here what you have, and what you can provide them is paramount as far as they are concerned. Even though there is a hunger for money, and doing deals, it will take forever to get one signed. A relic of their communist past is the monolithic bureaucracy which not only stifles their government but most of their older more established businesses. New money or companies are less constrained by this though.

Doing business in the Middle East isn’t an inviting prospect for a lot of businesses. The relative instability of the region (mainly caused by us), makes this a shifting foundation for any deal. The almost universal prevalence of Islam is something that has to be taken very seriously and observed strictly by any visitor if they want to even be considered as business partners. It has its own rules that need to be observed and treated with respect to get anywhere with the people. Learn the culture and demonstrate respect for it and the region has some of the friendliest and most hospitable people in the world.

As you can see, doing business internationally isn’t just a case of grabbing a passport and buying an airline ticket. Research has to be done so you can get started on the right foot before you can make a success of any foreign visit.